


Familia

by Amphigorym



Category: due South
Genre: M/M, Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-11-30
Updated: 2002-11-30
Packaged: 2018-11-10 21:11:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11134782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amphigorym/pseuds/Amphigorym
Summary: Eighteen months after the events of "Heroes," Ray receives an unexpected visitor.





	Familia

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Speranza, the archivist: this story was once archived at [Due South Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Due_South_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2017. I tried to reach out to all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Due South Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/duesoutharchive).

  
Familia

## Familia

by MR

Author's website: http://unhinged.0catch.com

Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be, but they have more fun when they play at my house.

Author's Notes: 

Story Notes: 

This story is a sequel to: Follow-Up to Heroes 

* * *

Title: Familia  
Rating: PG-13  
Summary: Eighteen months after the events of "Mamacita" and "Heroes," Ray receives a visit from an old friend. This story is a follow-up to "Heroes." 

I'm at my desk, trying to get the printer to spit out a report so Frase and I can go to lunch when a softly accented voice behind me says "Detective Vecchio?" 

I spin around, figuring it's someone here to talk about a case; it takes me a minute to place the face. Not that strange, given that I haven't seen her in over a year. "Juanita." 

She smiles. "I wasn't sure you'd remember me." Actually, she looks pretty much the same, except her hair's shorter. She's got a death-grip on the hand of a little boy who's valiantly trying to tear loose and get at Dief. He's rattling on non-stop in the mixture of English and Spanish you hear in kids that age who live in families where both are spoken. 

"Wait a minute," I look closer at the kid. "Oh man, that's Hector!" 

Juanita laughs. "I wondered if you'd recognize him. He's changed so much the last 18 months." 

"Well for one thing he wasn't talking last time I saw him." I squat down so I'm closer to his level. "Hey, Hector." That temporarily distracts him from Dief and he shuts up and looks at me, immediately going shy and moving closer to Juanita. "He's what, almost three now?" 

"Two and a half." She reaches down with her free hand and brushes his dark hair. "Carlos and I are going to put him in preschool next year; there's a good one at St. Paul's." 

"So how are things going?" I stand up and motion for her to sit in Fraser's chair. She does, hoisting Hector onto her lap. "I'm guessing the adoption went through okay." 

"Six months ago. Not that there was ever any question of it being approved. As the woman from Child Protective Services told me, who else would be crazy enough to want to adopt five brothers and sisters?" 

"Glad it worked out." And I am. I remember talking to her and Carlos the day after Carmen's body was found and being impressed by their determination that Evie and the rest of the kids have a normal family life. "Still, it's gotta be a madhouse some days, huh?" 

She rolls her eyes. "Like you wouldn't believe, Detective Vecchio. It helps a bit that Alejandro got married and moved out not long after Carmen died." 

Alejandro was the oldest of her and Carlos' four kids. "What about the girls?" 

"They've adjusted better than I expected. We had some trouble with Desidra at first, but I think that was just because she was used to being the baby in the family, even at 13. Sylvia and Theresita did a lot better; especially once they realized they weren't going to be forced to give up their social lives and baby-sit 'el ninos'." 

"How's Evie?" 

She glances towards the door, and then looks back at me. "Why don't you ask her yourself?" 

Two Hispanic girls are standing in the doorway looking bewildered. The older one is probably 16 or 17; Theresita, I'm guessing, since she was the oldest of the girls. The other one...it's not likely I'll ever forget Evie. She's taller now, and sort've gawky in that way that girls who've hit a growth spurt tend to be. But the thing that's changed the most are her eyes. They've lost the haunted, worried look I remember so well from the day I first met her. They're kids eyes now. 

They spot Juanita and make a beeline for the desk. "Did you get the fine paid?" Juanita asks Theresita, who nods, looking embarrassed. "Good. You're still grounded for a week." 

"Mama!" I almost smile when Evie giggles at the outrage in her sister's voice. "You and Papa promised I could go out Friday night!" 

"Take it up with your Papa." Juanita says calmly. "Evie, do you remember Detective Vecchio?" 

Evie cocks her head to one side, studying me. "Where's the other man?" 

"Other man?" 

"The one who wears the red suit like Santa Claus?" 

I snort. "He's at his real job. He only works with me some of the time." 

"What's his real job?" 

"He works for the Canadian Consulate." 

"We're studying Canada in school," she says, eyes lighting up. "Do you think..." she looks at Juanita, and then back at me, "Do you think maybe I could visit him there some time?" 

"I'll tell ya what. I bet if he asks her nice enough, his boss will let your whole class visit." 

Her eyes widen. "You think so? That'd be cool." 

"I can almost guarantee it." I dig in my pocket and come out with a handful of change. "Juanita, you mind if I treat the kids to a can of pop?" 

"I guess not. But you don't have to, Detective." 

"I know that. I wanna." I turn the change over to Theresita and direct her to the break room. Hector, who apparently knows what pop means, immediately slides off Juanita's lap and latches onto Evie's hand. 

Once they're gone, Juanita looks at me. "You're going to spoil them." She's smiling. 

"Hey, I figure they can use a little spoiling. All kids need someone to spoil them." 

That makes her laugh out loud. "Do you have any children, Detective?" 

"I wanted them, but my ex-wife and I could never agree on the subject. Got a lot of nieces and nephews, though." 

"You'd make a good father." 

"You think so?" 

Juanita smiles. "Just so long as you didn't have all girls. You'd have them spoiled so rotten no man would want to marry them." 

Fraser's waiting for me on the steps when I pull up in front of the Consulate. He climbs in, acknowledging Dief's bark of greeting. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up." 

"Ah, I got to talking. Guess who I saw today?" 

"I have no idea." 

"Remember Evie Ruiz?" He nods. "Well she's Evie Santiago now. Juanita came by and we caught up." I tell him about how things are going, about Hector and Theresita, and Evie wanting to see the Consulate. "I sort've promised her you'd fix it so her class could visit." 

"I'm sure it can be arranged. Inspector Thatcher always says that we need to find a way to put a more public face on our work; this would be an excellent way to do that." 

"That's what I figured." I shake my head. "Man, Frase, you wouldn't even know she was the same kid. Juanita says they still sometimes have trouble with her forgetting who's Mama, especially where Alejandro and his wife's baby boy are concerned, but I think most little girls that age are obsessed with babies." 

"I'm happy things turned out so well. We were both worried about what sort've a future she and the rest of the children faced." 

"Yeah. It's just...things go to hell so often in this job, ya know? So it sort've makes you high to find something's turned out so well." 

"I'm assuming this is a metaphorical high you're speaking of?" 

"Frase, I'm a cop, okay?" We drive in silence for a few minutes. "Juanita and I were talking about having kids, raising them, stuff like that. I gave Theresita some money so she and Evie and Hector could get some pop. Juanita seemed to think I was spoiling them rotten, but she said I'd make a good dad. You think I would?" 

Fraser looks me, eyebrow raised. "I believe you would, yes. Though you'd have to have someone more down-to-earth to balance you out. Part of the reason you get along so well with children, Ray, is that you're not far removed from childhood yourself." 

I chew on that a minute, not entirely sure whether I've been complimented or slammed. "Well you could balance me out, Mr. "Thank You Kindly." 

Fraser actually turns sideways in his seat. "Ray, are you suggesting we adopt a child?" 

"Maybe. Someday, when we aren't both so wrapped up in our work. There're a lot of kids out there that need a good home, Frase. And it's easier for same-sex couples to adopt than it used to be." I reach over and take his hand. "Anyway, that's in the future, okay?" 

"You've never talked about wanting children before. Well, except where Stella was concerned." 

"I guess I never really thought about it until Juanita said I'd make a good dad. And admit it, Frase, don't you want a son or daughter to carry on the Fraser name?" 

"Well my father certainly does." 

"Does?" 

"Did." He amends quickly. "He used to go on at great length about how I had a duty to marry and provide him with grandchildren. I suspect, however, that you and I adopting a child isn't exactly what he had in mind." 

"Well, he's dead now, so it's not like he's going to complain, right?" 

Fraser's looking over his shoulder at the back seat. "Oh I'm sure he'd find a way to convey his displeasure. Still, as you said, we're talking about the future. And wouldn't you want the child to carry on your name as well?" 

"We can give them both. Kowalski-Fraser. Or Fraser-Kowalski. Whichever sounds best." 

"Ray, you're giving me a headache. Could we just get some lunch and table the adoption discussion for now." 

"Will do." 

"What are you grinning about?" 

I look at him. "Just feeling good. Things have worked out well for Evie, I've got you for my lover. Hell, I actually got the printer to work for me today, Frase! This is a red-letter day, okay, and I reserve the right to grin like a fool if I want to." 

He smiles. "Far be it from me to suggest otherwise, Ray. To good days!" 

"Thank you kindly, Fraser." 

"You're more than welcome, Ray." 

**FIN**

* * *

End Familia by MR:

Author and story notes above.


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